Memorandum to:    The Director of Birds Australia

 

From:        Birds Australia Rarities Committee (BARC)

 

Date:       14th March 2006

 

Voting Members:   Rohan Clarke    Tony Palliser

     Mike Carter    Jamie Matthew

      John Hatch     Danny Rogers

     Glenn Holmes    Andrew Silcocks

    

cc.      Ron Johnstone        

 

Submission No 458:  Jouanin’s Petrel Bulweria fallax Scott Reef, WA on 30 October 2004 (Unpublished). Submitted by Peter Barrand.

 

This submission relates to the sighting of a Jouanin’s Petrel south of Scott Reef, WA (14deg 45’05”S 121deg 53’06”E) on the 30th October 2004. The bird was in view for at least two minutes and was seen by all on board a privately charted vessel returning from Ashmore Reef.

 

The submission described an all-dark bird, with long, slender, noticeably bowed wings, which were similar in shape to, but obviously larger (about 25% larger) than the familiar Bulwer’s Petrel Bulweria bulwerii seen earlier that day.  The combination of large bill held downwards in flight, pale covert patch, square-tipped tapered tail and the size of the bird are diagnostic of Jouanin’s Petrel and these features serve to eliminate other species that could potentially cause confusion including the very similar Bulwer’s Petrel.

 

Committee members voted unanimously in favour of acceptance. The 3rd confirmed record for Australia. Given the fact that reports and accepted cases to date are from the same region (between Scott Reef and Ashmore Reef) it is reasonable to speculate that this species may be regular in small numbers to northwest Australia.

 

 

Verdict: Accepted

 

Selected Bibliography:

·       Beaman, M. & Madge, S. 1998. The Handbook of Bird Identification for Europe and the Western Palearctic, Princeton University Press, Princeton.

·       Carter, M. 2003. ‘Jouanin’s Petrel Bulweria fallax in Australia, Australian Field Ornithology, 20, 69-76.

·       Enticott, J. & Tipling, D. 1997. Photographic Handbook of the Seabirds of the World, New Holland, London.

·       Marchant, S. & Higgins, P.J. (Eds) 1990. Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds. Vol. 1, Ratites to Ducks, Oxford University Press, Melbourne.

·       Harrison, P. 1983. Seabirds: an identification guide, Croom Helm, Beckenham, Kent.

·       Harrison, P. 1987. Seabirds of the World: A Photographic Guide, Christopher Helm, London.

·       Van den Berg, A.B., Smeenk, C. et al. 1991. Barau’s Petrel Pterodroma barauri, Jouanin’s Petrel Bulweria fallax and other Seabirds in the Northern Indian Ocean in June-July 1984 & 1985. Ardea 79: 1-14.

·       Palliser, T.  BARC case number 363 (unpublished)

 

 

Tony Palliser

Chairman, Birds Australia Rarities Committee